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Excerpt from the
May
Messenger
“Prayer - That Was
Easy!”
Several Sundays ago I spoke to you to the little red “Easy Button,”
the magic wand device from Staples, the office supply company, that
with just one click will fix any problem that comes up - in the
office.
There are many life situations – past and present – where we could use
an “Easy Button” fix: those final exams looming ahead of you, a
struggling relationship, getting the house clean and the laundry done,
getting the kids to bed at a decent hour, that never-ending home
remodeling project, bigger bills than income, a chronic medical
condition, a loved one facing death.
Clearly there are elements in life and our Christian journey that are
hard. And if we are honest, we all want God to make things easy for
us – a bit like a genie emerging from a lamp to grant us wishes, but
it doesn’t work that way. Life and faith are often bumpy roads and
not efficient highways. Suffering comes in many forms.
Emotional
– Depression, anxiety, childhood traumas, self-inflicted food
disorders.
Physical
– Sickness, physically disabled. Up to 20% of
people in the United States deal with some form of chronic pain.
Familial
– Discontentment and hopelessness wreck many marriages. Some
families face miscarriages, infertility, child/parent struggles and
children with special needs.
Spiritual
– As people of faith, sometimes we face unanswerable questions and
shrink back with doubts. We may have been wronged deeply and yet
called to forgive.
Relational
– Loneliness, hopelessness, a sense of being passed over. Consider
how many dysfunctions divide family and friendship circles.
Looking at this list we are safe in saying that it is not just the
weak and immature Christians who suffer. Not just the disobedient who
bring it upon themselves. I think it is fair to say that we all
suffer. No person is immune to potential suffering in life and in
faith.
Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” It
should come then as no surprise when we suffer. But too often we cry
and complain instead of persevering in faith. Our feelings are too
fragile and our expectations unrealistic. The goal of life is not
comfort and ease and everything just the way we like it. The goal
should be to follow Christ through the good and the bad times. When
things don’t go our way we should learn to patiently endure and
persevere, trusting that God has us right where we are for a reason,
trusting that God is with us through it all. Much easier said than
done, right?
Good news! There’s a Prayer Seminar coming to
Trinity! On May 14th at 6:30pm, Pastor Steve Perkins - one
of Trinity’s former interns who is now serving Lord of Life Lutheran
Church in Ramsey, MN – and his wife Sarah – a daughter of Trinity –
will be here to address these very issues and concerns. Make plans to
clear your schedule and join us for their very powerful and engaging
presentation, “The Power of Healing Prayer.”
Our evening will begin with a wonderful turkey dinner made by our Food
Coordinator, Karen Oeltjenbruns, and her helpers! The Adult Education
Commission will be providing a fantastic desert. Dinner will be
served from 5:00 to 6:15pm. Desert will be served at the intermission
of the Prayer Seminar. Other than the usual cost for a Wednesday
night meal, the Prayer Seminar is FREE! So bring your family,
friends, and neighbors. We’ll see you there!
Keep Shining!
Pastor Julie
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